Darfuri Responses - Video Transcripts

Marwa

"I mean, the genocide in Darfur has been happening almost five year right now and he killed a lot of civilians and it's just - he deserves that. That's the least thing, you know, he deserves. And if he didn't get stopped right now by the ICC, he's just going to keep doing what he's doing. He's going to keep killing these people. And there won't be any Darfurians left."

"A lot of Darfurians, you know, they've been murdered and people have been displaced from their homes. And I'm from there. I mean, I want my kids one day to go back home and know where their mom and dad come from. But if Omar al-Bashir is going to keep doing that, there won't be Darfurians left anymore, because this is his goal. He wants to finish all Darfurians, finish the land and then just move the Arabs there. And nobody will even know where is Darfur one day. He's just going to give it a different name, they're going to build new buildings, and nobody will know that is Darfur."

Mohamed Yahya

"This arrest warrant is, I believe, a very good thing for Darfur. As a Darfuri, I think this is our hope and dreams -- to have the arrest warrant, you know, passed and released and to get al-Bashir arrested."

"The government of Sudan is doing very bad things in Darfur, beyond any comprehension. Beyond every imagination that everyone could imagine, really. This government attacked and is still attacking Darfuri people."

"As a Darfuri, the first thing that I really considered even before any negotiations or any peace will be achieved is that justice should be achieved first of all. Because the justice will pave the way for peace, for reconciliation, for people to get together."

"This arrest warrant really will, you know, absolutely make me feel very good, just like other Darfuris. Because we feel that justice has been served, and the real peace will come."

"The government of Sudan is not concerned about this arrest warrant, you know, because they think that this arrest warrant will never, you know, be real, and might be - is going to be a joke. And also, the government of Sudan, the reason that they don't seem to be concerned is because they have been backed by a couple of strong figures and strong powerful countries like China, like Russia, and like even the Arab League, and most of the African leaders. And this gives them a kind of hope and a kind of confidence that nothing will happen to them. And that if it happens, they will never get them arrested."

"When I see Bashir, he just -- even his face has totally changed. He's become even, really when you see him, he seems to be really scared. And he just pretends that he's really - he will survive, and he will face everything, and he will destroy Darfur, and he will, you know, even give those United Nations people nightmares and something like that. Those threats he's sending are just a sign of fear, you know -- he's fearful. He's just trying to give himself, you know - he's trying to convince himself.

Ekhlas

"I definitely think the arrest warrant will bring a lot of justice in Darfur in Sudan, because that's what we need. Because right now, we don't have -- people need to hear our voices, need to know that we are searching for justice and freedom. So we can start moving forward and rebuilding Darfur all over again."

"The government plays a very, very big part, because they are the ones who are giving the supplies for the Arabs to kill Darfurians. And I feel like they have been saying that this is not them; ‘The Arabs are doing this by themselves.' But I don't think the Arabs have much power like that where they can go and destroy a whole village or destroy Darfur by themselves without giving them much power and support and saying, ‘Yes, we want you to do this.'"

Basmat

"I think the arrest warrant is a good thing for Sudan. For everybody in Sudan, even people in the north or south, east or west. Because that encourages everybody in Darfur to fight for their rights and fight for the justice."

"This arrest warrant will bring justice and hope. Because from the justice, we can get peace. And after peace, we will have hope for building the future. But if there is no justice -- no hope, no good future."

Fatima Haroun

The arrest warrant, it is a great pleasure to me. I feel that the whole world will win a victory by pursuing justice. We have been waiting for this too long, and finally we have it.

We are very pleased by this arrest warrant, but it will not end there, unless there is a way to completely implement it and make it enforced. There has to be a robust action - collective action - from the international community. They have to deploy enough forces with enough mandate, enough logistic mechanisms of not only protecting the civilians from al-Bashir's retaliation but also finding ways to make this happen. Because just saying it and not implementing it is not enough. So we have to send a strong, strong message that we will not tolerate any more actions against civilians and that this has to take place. And also all the countries who are signatories of the Rome Statute, they have to comply with the arrest warrant. And hopefully, it may be real.

I will say to those who are arguing of the inefficiency of the arrest warrant: What more than justice can help crimes like in Darfur? Justice will be the only way, and it is a must. I will say, if they are saying this will stop the peace process, there was never peace. It has been five complete years, going up to six. Al-Bashir has not made any real peace. He is just playing around and making scenarios. So we have to say enough to all of these games and take real, correct action. And it will have an effect.

For the people who have been victimized, who have been displaced, who have suffered and struggled: this is the time that they have to be united and get rid of all the differences, tribalism and fights among them. Become as one body to seek solutions for Darfur. And they have to also ask the international community that has been so helpful for them to assist them. Continue until they get to the end - to the peaceful life in Darfur. And to help them reconstruct.

And I ask the people of Sudan to stand by the justice, not to continue being fooled by al-Bashir and his regime. And to take the criminals, all the perpetrators to be accountable, and take them to justice. And then we will have better Sudan.

An arrest warrant is a good thing, but it needs support, it needs work and compliance from the whole world. And those who have helped al-Bashir before, I hope they help the justice to become real. I hope at least to cover the bad they have done, they should now do the right thing and bring al-Bashir to justice.

Dr. Ali-Dinar

This arrest warrant is another testimony to the will of the international community in working together to bring an end to the violence in Darfur. It is a message that no one is above the law, and if you commit crimes against your citizens, the day of judgment will come. So, whether you are a rebel movement, whether you are a president of a country, whether you are just an individual, you will not go without judgment. The days of impunity are over.

The ICC has to be left alone. This is a criminal issue. This is a legal issue. And it is not a political issue. And I think it is very important for the international community, and specifically for the Security Council, not to succumb to all these calls from the African Union or from the Arab League that violence and more disruption will happen in Darfur if al-Bashir is indicted. Because this is exactly what al-Bashir wants. He wants more violence. He wants more killing in the region. And that is also another testimony why the indictment of al-Bashir and the arrest warrant for him is important and significant. Because if he wants to stop all this violence from happening, he could. This is exactly what the people in IDP camps - the internally displaced people - and those in refugee camps outside Sudan, this is a day which they are longing for. This doesn't mean their lives will get brighter and peaceful, and they could just regain all that they lost from their wealth, from their dignity, from their livelihood. But at least this is another reminder to them that the international community cares, and justice will be served.

Niemat

The real satisfaction for all Darfuris, especially for women like myself and those who are currently suffering day and night living in the IDP or refugee camps, justice is the only way to bring satisfaction for them. Because they will see their perpetrators that committed crimes against them, they finally can be held accountable. Because people can sign a peace agreement, but it's still those who are deeply wounded, dehumanized -- they will not feel that peace. Because as long as those who committed crimes against our people are still controlling our affairs, we will not feel that peace. And the real peace is justice in Sudan.

It's because of the immunity that the current genocide is going on in Darfur. Because of lack of accountability and protection for leaders, that is why the current situation is ongoing. We believe this arrest warrant, it came for us in a good time. And we will work, all of us, and there are so many people who can stand for justice and will not argue peace should be compromised - or justice should be compromised at the expense of peace. I think justice will bring lasting peace to Darfur and Sudan at-large.

I think the next step is the most important part of the justice. In order to have justice in place, we need all member states of the International Criminal Court and the member states of the UN Security Council to stand firm and support the court to proceed and implement justice for Darfur. And to my fellow Sudanese, we all need justice. In order to have the Sudan of our ambitions, we need accountability. We need justice. It's because of the injustice Sudanese have been oppressed. Even those who are not speaking, they want justice. And in order to have this justice and to build the Sudan of our ambitions, we should support the court to proceed and cooperate with the court.

I know so many have argued against the decision by the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir, because they are thinking that the court is issuing an arrest against a sitting head of state. And that was damaging for us as Darfuris, because we think - they don't have to argue to protect one single individual. They should argue because those millions of people have been tolerating this cruel act of violence for six years. And now today, the arrest by the ICC is a test for them.